Thoughts about forgiveness

A client said something the other day that really made me think for a moment. She said that she really wanted to come to the Freedom Through Forgiveness workshop but she had no-one to forgive because nothing ‘big’ and ‘traumatic’ had happened in her life.

So I became aware of what are the nuances of forgiveness that occur just during our day. When my children fight we have a process of saying sorry, asking the other what they need in order to feel better and end with the words ‘I love you’ and a hug. I can generally tell how resolved the issue is by how much time lapses before they are off playing together again.

I also started thinking about how many times a day I said sorry to them or to my husband for a thoughtless word or action and how I felt as the receiver of that. Being a real bulldog, there were times that I would happily stew and chew it over and over and over being passively aggressive and letting them know in no uncertain terms that I was deeply wounded and hurt. Or I would take something deep into my being and turn it into how very bad I was and they were right and I more than likely deserved the criticism or judgement. And I would then start beating myself up.

Just looking at the words we use in the process of being hurt and hurting others or ourselves, and being able to forgive – words like ‘wounded’, ‘deeply hurt’,’ traumatised’, ‘I can never let this go’, ‘beat ourselves up’ ….. And then there is the saying of ‘Not being able to forgive is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die’. These words themselves are painful and sharp.

Forgiveness on so many levels – gentle daily mishaps and really deeply soul moving and life changing events – it’s about our relationship with ourselves. It is an opportunity to work on our inner landscape and how we choose to feel about who we are. It’s how we are able to look at ourselves in the mirror and really love that Being looking back at us.

The Freedom Through Forgiveness 1 day workshop is not about learning to turn the ‘other cheek’ or letting them off the hook. It’s an opportunity for you to have a look at how you love yourself. Where do you set your boundaries and what is important to you. And how can you find spaces in your heart and Soul to love yourself enough to choose what you need and is important for you to have the life you choose.

In my first newsletter about this I put forgiveness and courage together and invited you to come and dance. It is a dance. And it takes immense courage. And we don’t always know the steps. When we have support and feel safe enough to open up and love ourselves more than the event, then maybe we get a sense of being able to move. Move with Grace and Intuition and Joy.

So please come and join us. At the least it will be an interesting day. At most it could totally change your life.